Rita Riggs

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In her three-and-a-half hour Archive interview, Rita Riggs (1930-2017) talks about her early years, and being hired by CBS in the costume department just out of school. She recalls working at CBS Television City in Hollywood on such shows as The Bob Crosby Show, and the classic anthology series Playhouse 90. She describes her costuming work at Revue Studios which included working with Alfred Hitchcock on his introductions for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, whichled to her work on Hitchcock's Psycho, The Birds, and Marnie. Riggs details her extensive work in features that include Seconds, Petulia, and Yes, Giorgio. She chronicles costuming for Norman Lear throughout the 1970s on several of his shows, including All in the Family, Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times, One Day at A Time, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and The Jeffersons. She speaks of some of her later work including the television movie Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on August 19, 2003 in Los Angeles, California.

"Wear comfortable shoes. Be strong, durable, listen, learn, go to museums, learn from the masters. Painters are such good teachers. They teach you how to put together colors and textures."

Chapter 3

On working in costuming on Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" with Edith Head; on costuming Alfred Hitchcock's feature "Marine"; on working with Edith Head and Alfred Hitchcock

12:30

On costuming John Frankenheimer's film "Seconds", and various other features; on working for Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin on the feature "Divorce, American Style"

05:25

On how she came to do costumes for Norman Lear's All in the Family; on working with Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, and on heading up the costume department at their Tandem Productions

10:11

Chapter 4

On finding clothes for All in the Family; on costuming "Archie Bunker" played by Carroll O'Connor, and the rest of the cast of All in the Family; on costuming Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford as "George and Louise Jefferson" on All in the Family and The Jeffersons

17:14

On working on costuming with the creative team of All in the Family, and the freedom she enjoyed working under Norman Lear; on the importance and legacy of All in the Family

05:30

On doing Beatrice Arthur's costumes for Maude; on costuming "Walter Findlay" played by Bill Macy, and the rest of the cast of Maude

05:44

Chapter 5

On working with Rue McClanahan as "Vivian Harmon" on Maude; on working with Esther Rolle as "Florida Evans" on Maude and Good Times; on designing costumes for Maude and on how she choose her palettes

09:05

On designing costumes for Sanford & Son, and on the challenges of designing for Redd Foxx who played a junkman; on designing costumes for Good Times for Esther Rolle; on costuming for One Day at a Time

18:56

Chapter 6

On costuming Bonnie Franklin as "Ann Romano" on One Day at a Time; on costuming Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips as "Barbara and Julie Cooper" on One Day at a Time, and on the process of costuming on a regular series; on costuming Pat Harrington, Jr. as "Dwayne Schneider" on One Day at a Time

08:11

On costuming the cast of The Jeffersons, including Isabel Sanford as "Louise Jefferson" and Roxie Roker as "Helen Willis"; on a typical work week working as a costumer for several shows at once; on costuming Mike Evans and Damon Evans as "Lionel Jefferson", and the rest of the cast of The Jeffersons

12:13

On the process of designing costumes for television; on favorite fabrics and colors she uses when costuming, where she finds her inspiration, and her philosophy of costuming; on the difference between being credited for costumes and wardrobe

08:06

Chapter 7

On costuming various feature films, and starting her own design studios; on working on various projects with Jean Stapleton, and on working with Franklin J. Schaffner on the feature "Yes, Giorgio"; on costuming He's the Mayor, Bagdad Café, and Broadway Bound

12:57

On costuming V.I.P. and Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years; on the importance of her continuing to work as the years went on at her then-age of 73; on advice to aspiring television costume designers and how she'd like to be remembered